A Las Vegas woman once dubbed "The Black Widow" in connection with the 1994 death of her husband had her murder conviction dismissed Monday after spending two decades in prison.
A judge officially vacated the conviction and dismissed the charges against Margaret Rudin, 81, during a brief hearing, KLAS reported. The decision follows a 2022 ruling by a federal judge who vacated the conviction due to ineffective legal representation and insufficient evidence.
"I'm very relieved," Rudin said. "But I always keep looking over my shoulder."
Rudin was convicted in 2001 of killing her husband, Ron Rudin, a wealthy real estate investor whose charred remains were found near Lake Mohave in 1995. Prosecutors alleged she shot him while he slept, though only a small amount of blood was found in the room and "there was no evidence of a cleanup."
Rudin served 20 years in prison before being paroled in 2020. A federal judge later found that her trial attorney, Michael Amador, had failed to adequately defend her.
"The legal effect is that Margaret has never been convicted legally of any crimes and can never be reprosecuted," Rudin's current attorney, Adam Breeden, stated.
Rudin has filed a civil lawsuit against the state, seeking damages for her wrongful conviction. A hearing in that case is expected before the end of the year.
